


Rausvas

by Hannah_Shark



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Chiss Character, Dark Side Sith Inquisitor, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Human Cyborg Character, Humour, Imperial Life, Mostly Bickering, Nox isn't a total dick, Sith Pureblood, Sith Training, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, an attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:27:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22516984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hannah_Shark/pseuds/Hannah_Shark
Summary: Grace Sommerfeld doesn't really know what to do with her life, after being discharged from the Imperial Military and joining a band of mercenaries called Blackmight. She becomes a nervous wreck when everyone goes wrong on her latest mission and she meets someone very unexpected.Title is subject to change, it translates to 'red' in Sith. So creative.
Relationships: Male Sith Inquisitor/Original Female Character(s), Sith Character(s) (Star Wars)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Intro Text

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my first little sad attempt at writing a story with somewhat pre-existing characters, lore and setting.  
> Most are owned by George Lucas, Bioware and Lucasfilm (?), otherwise most of the main cast is property of the lovely Mossygator_ on Instagram and Tumblr (without the dash), go check her out she's super nice and an incredible artist and creator. Click off this crap and go check out her accounts, honestly.
> 
> Only Grace and the Mercs are original lmao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skip to Prologue or First Impressions in the drop-down menu if you aren't interested in this lot <3

Welcome to my dumping ground for my crappy fic, this in an introductory page and if it doesn't work I will delete and edit w/e. So this is just clarifying how I format things, yadda yadda here we go

There will be references! Big boi internet points if you get them all ;)

English is my first language and yes I can press the spellcheck button so yes it is my fault if there are errors so please call out anything I missed for rectification if you feel the need.

Inner dialogue spoken without me wanting to express an explicit emotion will be written like this:  
'woe is me' (characters first name initial)

Anything spoken in another language that is not clarified by the character will be translated at the bottom of the chapter in notes (if I miss something) or within the text itself written in the order it was spoken.

These - are scene breaks, but if you see these -- in tandem with another right below then that is where I have failed to insert a scene, that is my fault and they shouldn't be in there. However who wants a scene of characters walking down a hallway or through some terrain without talking? Sue me if you like that kind of thing.

I have done my best to not write repetitively, utilising a thesaurus to avoid the ever present 'he said she said' in story writing. I've also tried to not start a paragraph with a characters name and I use nicknames, titles or descriptors to avoid using peoples names too much.  
This fic may contain story-lines and potential spoilers for The Old Republic video game, Star Wars: Clone wars, TPM, Rebels and references to other films and media relating to star wars products.  
Food and other important quality of life things are hard to find so where I lack that information form lore websites I have changed them out for more real-life versions, sue me.  
Also where I lack certain information for specific cultural backgrounds for some of the aliens in the SW Universe, I will simply insert a real-life version. I've done plenty of reading to find out biological and cultural differences, evolution due to climate and so on and found it a little lacking (Why is Kashyyyk hot and Wookies are covered in fur, why do Sith have sharp carnivorous teeth when they eat meat and vegetation and Zabrak have flat omnivorous teeth when they are carnivorous? Etc. Argue in the comments.)  
So, slight changes, Korriban is HOT now. Zabraks have larger canine teeth and sharp molars due to their diet, can digest fibrous material but do not need it or enjoy the taste. 

Other than that I have done my best to stay faithful to the story (except when I twist it because reasons) and keep the characters as close to their original version as possible.  
There are so many damn drafts that I have done that I had to scrap due to not liking the direction it went or learning some new piece of information that invalidates what I've written. I may post a dump folder because I hate deleting works that I have spent hours on, however they are not part of the story so request if you are interested.

I've strived to keep these things out of my story or to an absolute minimum when the situation may be required for important developments  
⦁ NSFW moments (sorry I'm a thirsty bich)  
⦁ Rape [None]  
⦁ Unnecessary Major character death  
⦁ Religious or political themes [None!]  
⦁ Overly malicious bullying or harassment  
⦁ Foul language (I'm trying I promise but kriff and bantha sometimes don't cut it)  
⦁ Excessive alcohol or illegal substance use  
⦁ Out-Of-Character moments (without good reason)

Things that I DO want in my story  
⦁ character growth and development  
⦁ emotional struggle  
⦁ spacial awareness  
⦁ awareness of alien bodies and requirements  
⦁ humour  
⦁ soft fuzzy moments

I may have further notes at the bottom of each chapter, there may be art one day when I can afford it. Feel free to ask questions, this may end up being a little lacking in plot and more of a personal journey. I hope you enjoy it!


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prologue and main character introduction (okay I'm scared lmao)

Grace was just like her namesake on the battlefield, she wasn't particularly tall or strong enough to cleave a man in two. She would sneak around behind unsuspecting opponents and attack from the dark, stabbing carefully into the armour of enemy soldiers and scouts. Despite her need to stay out of sight, she wasn't cowardly on the battlefield, complimenting quick swings of her light vibrosword with shoulder barges, kicks and hammer blows. Her combat style an interesting mix of dancer-like elegant footwork and powerful melee attacks. No wonder she had been sent to Balmorra to disappear, she was disinterested with firearms or similar ranged weaponry, preferring a more traditional style of combat.

Neither tall nor having the build typical of a soldier, Grace stood at roughly 5'7 and was on the slim side. She had long wavy black hair that she kept pulled back from her face, pale skin and icy blue eyes. Her chin was scarred from acne, a painful reminder of her teenage years, and an otherwise unremarkable face.

Her mother had always said she would make a lovely dancer or even a fashion model, though the thought of those career paths often made Grace feel ill. She never thought much about her looks, as she saw it, she was loathsomely average in almost every way. Men only ever bothered to compliment her appearance when they were trying to get into her trousers.

Grace roared triumphantly as she lurched forward to shove the last rebel off the ledge and leaned over to watch them take their final breath, arms flailing helplessly and impaled on the spike wall below. Mother, what a loathsome woman, a cheating harlot, though she always thought her Father would be the one to find comfort outside the small family first. They could both go to hell for all she cared.

She hoped that one day she would be able to build on her skills and perhaps even learn something new and useful without having to go through the painstakingly dull Jedi training or be forced to attend one of the frightful Sith Academies. She practiced for hours in secret, learning to accentuate her technique with use of the force. All Grace could really manage was a small shield, a shimmering lens shape large enough to cover the upper half of her body but it served her well.  
Grace had even started to summon the translucent disc under her feet to help her jump higher and scale several storey buildings or the high cliffs of the Balmorran landscape in her free time. The views could be breathtaking if you ignored the sounds of bombs and gunfire in the distance. Grace cared little for the warring sides and how the light hated the dark and so on. Both sides had their merit but the dark held her interest for a little longer due to its taboo nature.

The Dark side was labelled as evil, it’s users cruel and merciless, blasting their opponents with lightning fueled by their anger and passion. The Light, in all of its contrast, was about being peaceful and kind, protecting those in need despite the Jedi's want to train younger and younger children. Both sides of Force users took young children to train them in their ways, both sides had their own armies and academies of higher learning. Both sides were deeply rooted in tradition, trained in lightsaber combat and slew each other mercilessly, in a constant battle for supremacy.

The only difference as she saw it, was a preference in their colour of clothing. Regardless of sides, Grace stayed within the Empire, training primarily as a soldier until she was chastised for failing to utilise a blaster, sent away to different factions within the Imperial Military before being dishonourably discharged. The constant moving and shifting around was irritating, albeit familiar but the commanding officers couldn’t just kill off a soldier with decent potential so they tried to wear her down.

Balmorra was a punishment for such troublesome folk and the fighting never seemed to cease. Grace had become tired of the endless drills and when she had caught the eye of an attractive young Twi'lek woman, flipping an old coin over her delicate green fingers, Vesha had invited her for a drink. The 'drink' was actually an invitation to join the guild of mercenary soldiers she worked for and Grace had been seduced into signing up.  
Blackmight, the mercenary guild, encouraged individuals to build on their unique skill-sets, to use their own abilities to benefit the group. Many of the members were skilled thieves, ex-military men and woman and smugglers. The commanders who had interviewed and interrogated her were thrilled to add a Force-Sensitive to their ranks and some were even understanding of her wishes not to train formally at an Academy.  
Grace shrugged as Leonhardt, her commander, shooed her away after debrief, the walk back had peaceful albeit tiring. She didn’t know what she wanted from life but her salary had been fair and gave her a place to sleep. Blackmight took care of their own and some of the other 'mercs' were nice enough, the rest kept to themselves. Shrugging out of her breastplate, Grace scratched the back of her neck looking around. There weren’t as many women in the female barracks as the male, and few of them ever talked to her.

Perhaps she was weird, Grace didn’t think so but if the actions of others said anything then she must have been somewhat unusual. Gathering her belongings and heading to the refresher, she walked quietly to the showers. She hadn't seen Vesha for almost two weeks, perhaps the Twi'lek was just a recruiter and didn't actually care about her at all.

There were fresh blisters on her feet that stung under the flow of the hot water and her shoulders ached. Life in the complex wasn’t so terrible even if she had no idea who her boss was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to get the next chapter finished in a few days, introductions are a bit boring until we get to the main cast and I'm terrible at describing surroundings ugh


	3. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing the fun characters! It all begins now.

It was supposed to be an easy mission. Get in, get a few crates of supplies while destroying whatever they couldn't carry and still travel light, get out. Deal with resistance.  
  
Intelligence reports suggested a small guard posting. Maybe 20 men, most of which had been here for a few days only. The outpost was only a temporary storage area after all.  
  
How intelligence hadn't spotted the array of defense turrets was anyone's guess. When Taron, the team's Zabrak heavy weapons specialist, triggered the perimeter alarm those damn things cut down half the team.  
  
Corso, the teams strategist, fell with holes blasted through her chest. Her fancy armour hadn't done her any good here.  
  
Becker, quick with blaster and wit alike, had not been quick enough to duck, losing the top of his head.  
  
Verhouven and Garth all died when a blaster bolt ripped through the grenade belt for Verhouven's launcher, turning the two of them into a fireball that threw up a cloud of dust covering the area.  
  
Mikael had lived, approaching the outpost from the other side. Not that he lasted long once the soldiers came out and started firing wildly into the undergrowth surrounding them, blinded by the dust cloud.  
Leonhardt was lucky. He was the team's sniper, so he was far enough away that nothing was coming for him.  
  
Taron somehow lived long enough to take out half of the soldiers in the outpost, roaring as he traced the multi-barreled blaster cannon across the defensive barriers. He kept going, not noticing when his power pack started smoking, overheated, and then exploded into a fireball all of his own.  
  
Grace had been the first in, her slim build and shorter stature aiding her stealthy approach. By the time the perimeter alarms had been triggered, she was already inside the large, squat stone structure that the soldiers had made their outpost. A few quick slashes of her vibroblade knocked power out to the building, and a quick explosive attached to the door provided an easy entrance.  
  
With her helmet's thermal vision, she had made easy work of the few soldiers inside after the lights had gone out. Only a few fell to her blade. Most of them managed to get outside through another door on the opposite side of the building.  
  
The inhabitants of the complex had set off a bomb as a last resort around the main entrance to stop them from getting it. Three men lay dead in the corridor, impaled by shrapnel.  
  
Unsure of how to complete her objective, she crept through hall of the tiny complex. There was no way she could move all the crates of ammunition, firearms and remaining explosives on her own. Grace had been searching for the main vault, perhaps if she couldn’t take the larger goods, she might just be able to get out with a small cache of credits.  
  
As Grace stuffed the small tokens that served as money throughout the Empire, a strange cuboid object at the back of the carved open vault caught her eye. It was made of some kind of crystal with an metallic outer structure. Some kind of alien artifact, there were odd inscriptions along the edge of the cube carved into the metal in a language that Grace couldn’t read.  
  
That’s when she realised that she was not alone in the small room, the faintest shifting of fabric alerted her to someone standing in the doorway and she whipped around.  
  
“Do you know what you are holding in your feeble little hand?” A silky voice rang out, filling the room as some sort of cloaking mechanism faded away to reveal an alien man standing inside the doorway with his arms folded. He was tall and slender, wearing a hooded black cloak and a breather mask that covered the lower half of his face. The man had long, red-brown hair that fell past his shoulders and blood red skin, facial spurs at the brow and cheekbones and his eyes glittered like rubies.  
  
‘This is it, this is where I die.’ (G)  
  
A Sith Pureblood, Grace shook her head and noticed the long handled lightsaber at his belt.  
  
“No M’Lord. You can have it if you want.” She trembled from head to toe as she slowly presented the cube to the Sith Lord. Judging from his dark, intimidating attire and energy weapon, he must have been one of the legendary warriors. The man laughed suddenly, his voice was even deeper and more menacing. Beneath the robe he was wearing matte black armour with a thick chest plate, high neck and pauldrons, but Grace didn't haver time to take in any further detail as he spoke again and her eyes snapped to his.  
  
“That is a Jedi holocron.” He seethed, resting one hand on the handle of his lightsaber. “It must be destroyed.”  
  
“Sure! Of course, it’s all yours.” Grace sputtered, placing it down on the desk and abruptly stepping back against the wall with her hands raised in surrender. The Sith were merciless and often indiscriminate killers. When a lightsaber came out it was time to run for your life, or try to, the only way to survive was to bend the knee and show respect.  
  
The Sith Lord raised his hand, fingers curled into a claw grip and pale blue lightning shot from the tips of his fingers into the holocron on the table. Grace yelped instinctively and threw her hands in front of her face, drawing upon the small well of power that seemed to arise in times of need. A shimmer appeared in front of her, absorbing the bolts of lightning into itself, and dissipating it without harm.  
  
When she finally opened her eyes, the Sith was standing over the blackened remains of the wooden desk, kicking at the small pieces of cracked crystal and twisted metal. The cube was gone, the interior of the artifact singed from the assault and finally crushed under the heel of the mans boot.  
  
Grace panted, not knowing what to do or say as she slowly lowered her hands and bowed her head respectfully. She sighed internally at the loss of the artifact, if he hadn't come along, she might have been able to sell the thing for several hundred credits or trade it for better gear.  
  
“Now.” The man purred, clearly satisfied with the destruction he had caused. “Would you care to show me that little shield again?”  
  
Grace looked on in horror as he turned to face her drawing his lightsaber and igniting it, she straightened up, flattening herself against the wall. The weapon came to life with a whoosh and buzzed with the crimson colored energy flowing through it. The Sith Lord pointed it directly at her face, casting the red glow across the room.  
  
‘Run! Run! Run!’ (G)  
  
“My Lord?” She stammered, face prickling with sweat as the weapon came closer and closer. Grace couldn’t draw her weapon, it would be melted in an instant and you didn’t challenge these people.  
  
“Do it again or die.” He said slowly but firmly.  
  
Grace hummed nervously, she squeezed her eyes shut and begged the stars above to help her, fear tearing through her body in rippling waves of adrenaline. Her raised hands shook, dripping with sweat beneath her gauntlets and the shield burst to life, the edges raw and messy but it held firm through her sheer desperation. The Sith took several slashes at it with his lightsaber, apparently testing its integrity before falling back and extinguishing his weapon.  
  
“Where did you train?” He growled.  
  
“I haven’t been trained! I just do it.” Grace panted and the Sith gave her a quizzical look. He said nothing for a moment, looking her slowly up and down.  
  
"Small." The man muttered. “Come with me. Or stay here and die when my forces come to clear the building. Up to you.” He grunted, turning on his heel to leave through the small door on the far side of the room, ducking slightly to avoid knocking his head on the doorframe. Grace stood there frozen in place, staring at the spot where the Sith had been standing as his footfalls faded down the hall.  
  
“What does he want?” She muttered to herself, if he wasn’t going to kill her here then... Grace rushed from the room when angry roar shook the complex. Perhaps the Sith Lord had been shot by a sniper or perhaps another Sith had shown up looking for the artifact. Grace carefully rounded the corner, peeking out to see him standing at the end of the corridor, his shadow eclipsing the light from outside and he was tapping his toe on the floor.  
  
“Oh.” She rushed forward to meet him and he turned again to exit the complex, long cape flowing out behind him. When she stepped out into the brightly lit exterior or the complex she realised that there were Imperial soldiers everywhere, a group pushed past her, shoving her aside to take the compound over. The Sith Lord was talking to a small humanoid who was dressed similarly to a shock trooper and carrying a heavily modified rifle. Grace carefully approached the two as they talked in hushed voices.  
  
“Awwh, who’s your friend?” The trooper asked in a soft feminine voice turning to point her rifle at Grace who immediately raised her hands in surrender. The Sith muttered something under his breath and the woman lowered her weapon. “So you were with the mercs who got here first? Didn’t last very long, huh?”  
  
“We just wanted the weapons and ammunition.” Grace shook her head, she hadn't known Verhouven for long but he was a good man, none of them deserved to die like this.  
  
“You’re still here, and it seems you have something that belongs to me.” The trooper grinned, pulling off her helmet to reveal a round face, cybernetic implant below her left eye and a mess of short blonde hair. The woman held out her hand expectedly and the Sith turned to fix Grace with a stern look. She sighed and emptied the credit chips from her pockets and belt pouch.  
  
”Thank you.” The woman trilled, taking the chips happily and putting them in her own belt pouches. She noticed the sad look in Graces eyes. ”Better luck next time.”  
  
‘So he wanted to see what I could do and she wanted the money I found. Great.’ Grace thought sadly and the man swept away to talk to another group of military officers.  
  
“C’mon. Let's get you checked over.” The woman jerked her head towards the medical droids and officers that were arriving on scene.  
  
“What? Why? Aren’t you going to kill me?” Grace asked cautiously, beginning to panic.  
  
“If the Commander wanted you dead, I wouldn't be needing to search you would I? And given that he didn't just kill you, you must have something he wants. So it looks like you'll be sticking around a bit.” The blonde woman chuckled.  
  
“I gave him the holo-thing already.” Grace said quietly.  
  
“Look, sweetheart. What’s your name?” The older woman said softly, slinging her rifle over her shoulder with a practised movement.  
  
“Sommerfeld…” She replied slowly and the woman raised an eyebrow at her. “Uh, Grace.”  
  
“Nice to meet you Grace, I’m Fyn Rhea." Fyn produced her hand for a firm shake.  
  
“Nice to meet you Ms. Rhea.” Grace said automatically, staring at her boots as they shook hands.  
  
“Just Fyn, please. And that was Darth Nox. You're in for a wild ride kiddo, come on.” Fyn clapped her hand on Graces shoulder and steered her over to a nearby med droid that was setting up.  
  
Nox? Didn't he just ascend to the Dark Council a few years ago? Grace sat in a daze as the droid scanned over her, but what would a Sith Lord want with her?  
  
-  
  
Aboard the Sith Lords Star Cruiser, The Tempest, Darth Nox stretched out comfortably on the couch, putting his feet up on the low table with a loud thud. The noise snapped Grace back to reality, she had been on autopilot of sorts since the medical tent, and had barely registered when Nox had swept past and muttered something in her ear. She didn't remember what he had said, only that it seemed like a good idea to get up and follow him.   
  
Grace wandered vaguely what had happened between leaving the pop-up medical tent outside the rogue stronghold and entering this place. She didn't remember boarding another ship, only that it was 'time to go'. She was now standing by a large semi-circular couch with red leatheris padding and a sleek modern frame. Darth Nox had made himself comfortable already, stretching his long slender limbs and relaxing back into the seat. He seemed somewhat smaller than she had initially thought, or perhaps it was just the room they were in now compared to the tiny office.   
  
Grace realised that she was probably aboard his personal ship, perhaps a star destroyer or armoured cruiser but there was almost no-one else here save for a few droids darting back and forth down the hallway to her right. To her left was a large circular holodesk, likely for taking conference calls   
Nox uncoupled the dark metallic breather mask from his armour and tossed it onto the table next to his feet. He turned to look lazily at her, bracing his hands behind his head, he looked quite different without the mask.  
  
Beneath it he had full, dark red lips and the spurred jawline typical of his species, though he lacked the soft tendrils that other Red Sith had from the corner of their mouth that fell below the chin. There was an inch long spur of cartilage either side of his chin and another either side of his jaw below the earlobe. His ears had been pierced several times with silver studs and he wore a silver ring in each side of his nose and a strange piece of jewelry between his red eyes.  
  
‘Pretty.’ (G)  
  
“What?” He purred softly, cocking his head to the side. Grace blushed, averting her eyes to study the caps of her steel boots. “Do you find me scary?”  
  
“Um… do you want me to be scared of you, my Lord?” Grace asked nervously and he cocked a thorny eyebrow at her, his mouth curling into a cruel smile but he said nothing. “Then, yes.” She nodded firmly. Apparently having been given the correct answer, Darth Nox grinned exposing a row of pointed teeth.  
  
‘Of course he has monster teeth, why wouldn't he?’ (G)  
  
“Good. Get me a drink.” Nox growled.  
  
“Yes my Lord, what would you like?” Grace had no idea what he liked to drink or even what he should drink, Red Sith were a somewhat anti-social species and little was known about them save for their appearance.  
  
“Hmm. Surprise me.” Nox waved her away with a look of disinterest.  
  
-  
  
The cantina contained a vast array of liquors and alcoholic drinks on a long shelf that ran above the counter. The room was spotless, chrome surfaces shone under the bright lights, there was a small kitchenette, cafe style lounge and a dining area with high backed chairs. Along one wall was a large tele-screen and radio set-up for entertainment. Grace whistled in appreciation at the large refrigeration and freezer units, opening the door to find cans of beer and soda among neatly organised containers of readily-prepared meals. Shaking her head, Nox didn't seem like a beer kind of guy, she returned to the stare at the high shelf again to scan over the labels, the ones she could see without climbing onto the counter anyway. Unable to read most of the labels, Grace decided that chilled water was likely not what he wanted but it was a little early in the afternoon for alcohol. Besides, it would be rude to go rifling through the alcohol the same day she stepped foot onboard the lavish star cruiser.  
  
“What are you doing in here?” Fyns soft voice came from the doorway.  
  
“Fyn, Sir! Uhh… Darth Nox asked me to bring him a drink but he... wouldn’t tell me what he wanted.” Grace stiffened, taking a long step back from the counter and stared at the floor, unsure what to do next.  
  
“Just bring him water, honestly. Don’t play his games.” Fyn shook her head in frustration.  
  
“Um…” Grace looked up, confused.  
  
“Here, I’ll take care of this.” Fyn gave her an evil smirk.  
  
“I don’t want to get in trouble…” Grace said in a small voice as Fyn rummaged around in the recessed cupboards that she hadn't noticed before. Grace picked absently at a dry bit of skin by the fingernails of her left hand and Fyn began to fill a tall glass with a mixture of several dark liquids.  
  
“Don’t be silly, he won't respect you if you grovel at his feet.” Fyn grinned, pouring in some spiced sauce for good measure and giving the mystery concoction a stir. “Here ya go!” The blonde woman handed her the glass, the liquid inside it was thick and a dark colour. Grace winced at the sight of it.   
'She's probably right...' (G)  
  
“What’s taking so long?!” Nox roared from the other room, growing impatient.  
  
“This won't hurt him will it?” Grace asked nervously and Fyn shook her head.  
  
“He’s a big boy, he can handle it.” She grinned and motioned for Grace to take it to him. “Go on, it’ll be fine, promise.”  
  
-  
  
Nox frowned at the drink as Grace set it on the table with sweaty hands and returned to where she had stood before, Fyn leaned on the door-frame to watch. He looked first at Grace, who blushed and looked away in shame and then at his companion.  
“Did you put her up to this?” He growled, raising an eyebrow at the blonde woman. He was holding the glass up to his eye, looking suspiciously at the strangely coloured liquid within.  
  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Fyn shrugged, not even trying to keep the grin from her face. “I just got here.”  
  
Nox looked back at Grace, she felt her face heat up and gave him a quick warning look. He toasted and then, much to her horror, began to slowly drink the mystery fluid. Grace stared as his throat bobbed up and down with each gulp and then he exhaled, having drained the entirety of the glass and set it down. Nox wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and coughed once.  
  
“Is that really the best you’ve got?” He smiled cruelly at Fyn, who frowned and turned her back on him to stomp down the hall. When she was gone Nox looked back and Grace and laughed at her shocked face.  
  
“I’m so sorry! She said it was fine!” Grace gasped, suddenly concerned for her own safety.  
  
“It was pretty good actually.” He smiled to himself, licking his lips. “Next time, just bring me a glass of wine.”  
  
“Yes my Lord.” She said quietly.  
  
“Nothing on this ship can cause me any harm, but I appreciate your concern for my well-being.” He growled in amusement, his tone was antagonizing.  
  
'Of course a foul tasting drink wouldn’t harm a Sith Lord. Stupid!' (G)  
  
“Yes I heard you in the kitchen.” He said with a wink.  
  
“You knew? And you drank it anyway?” Grace gasped, covering her mouth with her hands and Nox nodded slowly. “Why?”  
  
“I won't give her the satisfaction.” He grinned. “Now, I have a little task for you. Sit.”  
  
“Yes my Lord.” Grace said, bowing her head and perching on the edge of one of the matching armchairs.  
  
“Look at me when I speak to you!” He snarled suddenly, taking his feet off the table. Grace jumped at the volume of his voice and her eyes snapped up to meet his.  
  
“Apologies, M’Lord.” She said quietly, bowing ones head and averting their eyes was a sign of respect for most cultures but perhaps Darth Nox worked a little differently.  
  
“You will begin by telling me everything that you know of the Sith.” Nox said calmly, leaning his elbows on his knees.  
  
“Oh um, well they are a race of red skinned humanoids originating from Korriban…” Grace started.  
  
“No no, not those Sith. THE Sith!” Nox waved his hand to stop her. “The Masters of the Dark Side of the Force, tell me what you know of them.”  
  
“Well, not much really. They’re warriors I guess, they carry red lightsabers and they kill everyone who gets in their way.” Grace strained to remember anything she had learned about the group.  
  
“And what is the goal of the Sith?” Nox asked, resting his chin on his hands.  
  
“I don’t know my Lord, galactic domination I suppose?” Grace offered.  
  
“While each Lord of the Sith may have their own personal goals, they desire power above all else.” Nox stated. “ 'Through power, my chains are broken' .” Grace nodded, unsure of what he meant by that.  
  
“Okay.” She said quietly.  
  
“You have an ability that many others lack, you have a connection to the Force. With the right training, one day you may be able to claim the title of Dark Lord of the Sith and through the Dark Side, power grows far quicker than those who train in the Light.” Nox said, a subtle smile spreading across his wide mouth.  
  
“Why would I do that though?” Grace asked curiously.  
  
“Why not?” He frowned suddenly. “Why would you waste such potential?”  
  
“I don’t want to go to one of those awful academies my Lord.” Grace shook her head, she had avoided the frightening Inquisitors who came searching for ‘special’ folk for years. The tales she had been told of the Sith Academies were of terrifying ritual slaughter, horrible living conditions and torture if one was to fail.  
  
“You won't be going to an Academy!” Nox laughed raucously, clearly amused. “You will stay and train right here on my ship. I'm far more capable a teacher than those at any Academy.” He smiled to himself.  
  
“Like a slave?” Grace asked coldly and Nox paused, cocking his head to one side with a dark expression on his face. His eyes burned like blazing coals for a moment.  
  
“Perhaps.” He said coldly. “I could keep you here to dance for my amusement or you could study through the datacrons in my personal collection and learn the ways of the Dark Side. The choice is yours.” Nox smiled to himself again, his expression softening.  
  
“Not much of a choice then.” Grace muttered, feeling slightly bolder.  
  
“I think you’ll find most of what I have collected over the years to be rather interesting.” He smiled slyly.  
  
“I’m sure I will my Lord.” Grace sighed dejectedly. “But what about my belongings?”  
  
“You’ll get new ones.” Nox waved her away, leaning back in his seat. “Take whichever of the smaller rooms you’d prefer, the droid will show to one that isn’t occupied. We start tomorrow.” He grinned wildly.  
  
“Yes my Lord.” Grace stood abruptly, feeling defeated.  
  
“From now on, you will refer to me as Master.” He nodded, correcting her mistake.  
  
“Yes, Master.” She replied, turning to the droid that approached.  
  
"Sleep well, my new Apprentice." Nox purred, still smirking.  
  
-  
  
That night Grace found herself in a dark cavern, faced with her new master, he turned and without speaking began to transform into an immense reptilian beast covered in thick red scales and huge fearsome horns. She screamed at the horrific sight and tried to run from it but her legs felt heavy, as though she were running through gel.  
  
She fell forward through the darkness as it charged forward, pinning her to the floor with a clawed foreleg. The monsters huge jaws snapped shut behind her, the creature rolled her over to snarl in her face and Grace brought her hands up to protect her face as the burning eyes loomed above her.  
  
“Apprentice.” It growled in that deep frightening voice and lunged forward with its jaws open, sharp teeth inches from her face and neck and she cried out for help.  
  
Grace awoke in her small room, opening her eyes, sitting up and scanning her surroundings for movement and saw no sign of the monster. Shuddering and trying to slow her breathing, she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around her shoulders for comfort.  
  
"Don't be stupid, it wasn't real. He's just a man. Just a red skinned, spiky faced man that can shoot lightning from his hands..." Grace told herself, suddenly noticing how cold she was from the layer of sweat that covered her body. Frowning, she stood up and began pulling the damp sheets from the bed to change them out for dry ones.  
  
Having nothing on her when she boarded but her armour and damaged weapon, she had had to strip down to her underwear to sleep. Fyn had tossed her a pile of shirts and a pair of sweatpants but everything she gave to Grace smelled very strongly of sweet perfume, there was no way Grace could get to sleep in those. She swapped the sheets out from the locker beneath the bed that contained extra blankets and a change of linen, moving with quick, frustrated movements and tossed the damp ones into the laundry chute. Grace kicked the base of the bed, it had been years since she had had a nightmare and even longer since she had seen one so vivid. The monsters breath on her skin, the weight of its claws on her chest seemed so real but it was just her brain creating all of the sensations.  
  
She reached out for her helmet, flicking on the music player with the small button on the underside and slipped it over her head. Grace lay back against the pillow and closed her eyes again, losing herself in a calming melody and tried to fall back into the gentle embrace of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks J for helping me write the boring parts! <3


	4. First Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright here's chapter two! Hnng so nervous. This one expands the characters a little more, covers the setting etc. Grace has her first lesson in Dark Side force abilities and signs her contract. But of course, she has no belongings so will need to buy a few things if she is going to stay comfortably on the Tempest.

Beeping roused Grace from sleep, it was still early as she looked over at the wall chrono but the beeping was coming from the door, a visitor. She hurriedly removed her helmet and placed in on the table by the door as she keyed it open.  
  
The visitor was an impossibly attractive Chiss man, wearing dark military-style clothing and holding a datapad. He had the typical cerulean skin, twinkling red eyes and blue-black hair of his species. The man looked up at the door opened and Grace was suddenly quite aware of her state of undress.  
  
"Good Morning Ms Sommerfeld, you may refer to me as Agent." The man stated.  
  
'Untidy. She will fit right in.' (K)  
  
"Oh um, good morning." She muttered sleepily. "I don't think we've met, you can just call me Grace."  
  
"Of course. Would you mind reading over this and signing it? I've been made aware that you've already made a verbal contract with Darth Nox." Agent said stiffly.  
  
"What?" She asked. Grace was confused, did that really count as a verbal contract?  
  
"Last night, he said you agreed to become Apprentice under his Lordship. This is a more _stable_ agreement, it ensures that you will have rights, basic needs taken care of and the like." Agent continued stiffly.  
  
"I uh, wasn't really in the best frame of mind yesterday. I don't even remember how I got on board." Grace hummed, the previous day had been a whirlwind of events, blurry faces and sounds.  
  
"You walked with Fyn." Agent stated.  
  
"Right but I..." Grace muttered, taking the datapad and wincing at the fine text on the screen.  
  
"Untreated concussion?" Agent asked, seemingly disinterested.  
  
"Um no the droid just said I was tired and dehydrated." She said.  
  
"Mild shock perhaps. I'll have a droid keep an eye on you for a few days. Anyway, I drew up the contract myself to include salary and expectations. Please read it over and sign it by the end of the day. There is a space near the bottom of the page for you to write in any dietary and medical requirements. If you have any problems, direct them to Nox himself."  
  
'Salary?' (G)  
  
"Um, alright. Thank you, Agent." She said and he nodded, turning away with his shoulders squared. Grace leaned out of the doorway just a little to watch him go and she stepped back and slid down the door as it closed, settling on the floor with the datapad clutched to her chest.  
  
'He's beautiful too. Dammit! Why is everyone here so beautiful?' (G)  
  
-  
  
"This way please, Ma'am." A dark shelled droid buzzed at Grace as she exited the cantina with her cup of sweetened caf. Fyn had tossed her a bundle of her unused clothing the night before, but Grace couldn't sleep in the t-shirts, they smelled of some perfume that threatened to keep her awake.  
  
"This is the room where you receive your first instruction under the great and powerful Darth Nox. Please enjoy the rest of your day." The droid bowed and left her at the open door.  
  
'Did he tell it to say that? Pompous git.' (G)  
  
The room for meditation the droid had led Grace to was empty of inhabitants. Nox must have been busy on a call or something she thought to herself as she stepped into the dim room and settled in the centre of a large plush cushion on the floor.  
  
-  
  
"Oh hey, you're already here. Great." The sharp voice roused her from her daydream and Nox was standing in front of the closed door, wearing a button up black shirt with the sleeves rolled back casually to expose his forearms. The shirt was untucked and under that he wore plain black, slim fitting pants and no shoes. His hands and feet had clawed digits and there was something strange about his arms too.  
  
"Yes Master, the droid showed me where to wait." Grace replied as he sauntered over and sat in front of her resting his chin in his hands and his elbows on his knees. His forearms, Grace could see now that he was closer, had strange arrow shaped ridges of cartilage on the outsides much like the gills of an aquatic beast.  
  
'That's weird.' (G)  
  
"I see you've also met Cory this morning." Nox grinned widely, pointed at the datapad that lay beside her on the cushion. "Um, by the way, what's your name?"  
  
"You never bothered to ask." Grace said quietly, knowing where this was going.  
  
"I know, I'm asking now." Nox replied.  
  
"It's Grace." She muttered quietly.  
  
"Really?" Nox asked with a wide grin.  
  
"Yes, it was my mothers choice, not mine." She said with a sigh.  
  
"Grace? Oh that's so lovely!" He said with his most patronizing tone, clutching his hands together in front of his heart. "Inspires such _fear_ in the hearts of mortals."  
  
"Can we just do some magic stuff now?" She asked with a pleading look in her eyes.  
  
"Fine." Nox poked his tongue out at her and Grace groaned internally as she noted that it was pointed at the tip.  
  
'More weirdness.' (G)  
  
"Now. I want you to focus on your connection to the living force." Nox said calmly, nodding for her to copy exactly how he sat, back straight, legs crossed, forearms resting on his thighs and hands curled over his knees.  
  
"A place inside you, it may look like a deep pool of water, the heart of a churning volcano or a roaring battlefield covered with the rotting corpses of your enemies. It looks different for each person but I’m sure you must have a vague idea of the place I’m talking about?” Nox asked. Grace nodded and she closed her eyes.  
  
Her breathing softened eventually and Grace let the world drop away, small yet patronising encouragements from Nox were her only tether to reality. The Sith was asking her to find the place she often saw in her sleep, the churning mass of smoke and cool energy in wide dark room. Grace didn’t know what to call it but it was always there, like an old friend.  
  
“Can you find it?” He asked and Grace nodded slightly.  
  
“Good. Very good. What does it look like to you?” He continued, she could hear the smile in his voice at how quickly she had found it and she began to relay what she saw.  
  
“A huge empty room, there’s no light here and I can’t see the end of it. There’s something in the center. Energy, like a black mass, it looks kind of like smoke but it’s cold and hard. It’s always moving, swirling like water.” Grace replied sleepily as she stood before the orb, letting it's relaxing waves wash over her.  
  
“Hmm. Weird, reach out to it now. Let it fill you with strength.” Nox interrupted her train of thought with the strange idea. He wanted her to touch it? That didn’t make sense, it wasn’t real it was just a thought but she shrugged. Grace reached out with her physical hand, imagining doing the same in her head.  
  
The mass felt cold but not unpleasant, she watched the strange substance swirl as she passed her fingers through its surface. Tendrils of chilling, dark matter twirled around her hand, advancing up her arm.  
  
“Very good little one.” His sharp voice rang through the darkness as if he were standing right behind her. There was no way this was all real but the jittery sensation crawling up her arm felt very real. Like a fresh cup of caf relaxing her muscles and filling her with energy.  
  
Grace sighed, opening her eyes as she returned to the small chamber.  
  
"You should try your little shield again." Nox said with a knowing smile.  
  
-  
  
The morning had been tiring, her Master had ordered her to summon the force shield again and again, commenting on how flimsy it seemed and dispersing it with a wave of his clawed hand. They repeated the process for what seemed like days, Grace felt exceedingly more exhausted each time she called it into existence. She had never been asked to produce it so many times in one day yet she felt like it was far from over.  
  
Several times Nox had even pointed out thin cracks in the shield that began to show more and more over time, tapping at it with his finger until he finally pushed right through it. The lens would shatter, dispersing back into the force and Nox grinned maliciously before ordering her to do it again.  
  
Grace sat at the counter in the cantina, leaning on her elbows. Not even bothering to make her way to the proper dining area, she had thrown together a simple lunch; meat, cheese and two thick slices of bread. It wasn’t nearly enough to sate her exhaustion, but it filled her growling belly for the time being.  
  
Remembering with a jolt, she picked up the datapad as she wiped the crumbs from her face and began to read. The document pinned to the screen was fully of legal jargon that Grace didn't understand but several points made sense to her as she scanned over it. Sentient rights, privacy, adequate medical treatment and sustenance, everything she needed.  
  
'Just like he said.' (G)  
  
-  
  
"So what was the lesson really about today?" Grace asked Nox as he stretched out his legs, leaning casually against the wall by a low table that had popped out of the wall. There was a tall stack of datapads sitting on the surface of the table.  
  
"That? Just a little boost, a skill to enhance to your natural ability, very basic stuff. You might find yourself a little tired, we will see how fast you can recover from having your energy drained." Nox said and waved over to the stack of datapads. "Until you recover, I want you to read all of these and commit the words to heart."  
  
"Right, um, about this contract..." Grace began, holding out the pad to her new Master.  
  
"Oh don't bore me with that. Cory drew it up so I trust it covers everything." Nox waved the question away.  
  
"Alright, my signature is at the bottom." Grace smiled subtly, having added in something of her own. "Will you sign it?"  
  
"Mhmm." Nox hummed, taking the pad from her outstretched hand and scrawling quickly at the bottom. The pad chimed and he smiled, handing it back to her. "I guess this is yours now."  
  
"What? Really?" She gasped, a datapad like this often cost a few hundred credits but she shouldn't have been surprised, everything on board was expensive and top-of-the-line.  
  
"Mhmm." He nodded as Grace stared down at the fancy new piece of tech and the words flashed across the screen 'New Owner Allocated: Grace Sommerfeld. Please enter your new passcode.'  
  
"Thank you!" She said, her hands shaking.  
  
"Use it for research, the expanded Imperial holonet has lots of valuable information and you have a _lot_ of catching up to do. Those however are to be returned to my office when you have finished reading them." He smirked, gesturing to the stack. "We will be docking at the Imperial Fleet in a few days, I have several meetings to attend, during which I suggest you make some purchases.  
  
"Oh right. My things." She said quietly.  
  
"You should refrain from wearing Fyn’s old shirts as soon as possible. A small amount of credits will be added to your account, spend them wisely." A crooked grin spread across his lips and Grace wondered what he meant.  
  
"Thank you, Master." Grace said, staring down at her feet. She felt like crying and hugging him but that didn't seem acceptable somehow.  
  
"It's nothing, really." Nox shrugged, flipping his hair over his shoulder. "I won't have my Apprentices wearing rags."  
  
"Yes, Master." She replied quietly, steeling her face. Of course he wasn’t doing it out of kindness, he had a reputation to uphold.  
  
-  
  
Nox hadn't called her in for a lesson in a few days, he had been busy with private holocalls and Agent kept to himself mostly. Fyn had joined them briefly for one call and then left the two men alone. Nox had ordered her to keep summoning her force shield until she could no longer produce anything of value and then had ordered her to read. She was not to bother him until she was ‘recovered’, checking every waking hour if she could do it again.  
  
Two days after the intense 'draining' session, Grace sent him a message to let him know she had her strength back. Three hours later he replied only with ‘Good. Talk later.’  
  
Grace sat in the foyer with Fyn as the cruiser landed, poring over her datapad as she tried to read as much as possible about Sith teachings. The Bounty Hunter was excited to roam about the small shopping district aboard the Imperial Fleet, apparently keen on doing a little shopping herself.  
  
The pad chimed to note a change had been made to Graces account, a deposit had been made with a note at the bottom 'Get whatever you need.' but the sum made Grace jump, there was surely too many zeroes at the end of it. She blushed at the small fortune now sitting among her measly personal funds and covered her mouth with her hand. There was no way she could even fathom needing that much money for clothes and shoes.  
  
"Oh wow. Cool." Fyn smiled, leaning over Grace's shoulder and giving her a little shake.  
  
"I've never seen that much money before..." Grace whispered.  
  
"Oh hun. You'd be surprised how fast it goes when you're travelling." She smiled.  
  
"I..." Grace paused, unable to think what she would do with all this money let alone what she was expected to spend it on.  
  
"Don't sweat it, those are small numbers for folks like us." She grinned widely, brushing some imaginary dust from her shoulder.  
  
"I was just going to go to a castoff store and..." Grace started, feeling a little panicked.  
  
"Second hand? Oh no sweetie, he won't stand for that." Fyn said warmly, shaking her head. "I can come with you if you want some help?"  
  
"Please." She pleaded, Fyn clearly knew a bit more about fashion than she did, Fyn was dressed casually today in a low cut tank top and bomber jacket, grey jeans and some sport brand sneakers that Grace didn't know existed until this morning.  
  
“Awesome! I'll grab my bag and a few droids." She said in her cheerful tone and jumped up from the couch.  
  
"Droids?!" Grace gasped.  
  
"To carry everything!" Fyn said as if it were the most obvious thing in the galaxy.  
  
"How much am I supposed to get?" She gasped, surely she would only need to carry a few bags of items.  
  
'Well, you wont want to use any of the military standard stuff in the showers, you'll need training clothes and shoes, new armour, casual and dress clothes and all that." Fyn ticked off the list on her fingers, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully.  
  
"I feel like I shouldn't get any of that stuff with his money, I should send most of this back." Grace said nervously looking down at her account again.  
  
“It's yours now sweetheart, don't sweat the numbers, really. Just say thank you and act like it's nothing." Fyn said softly and skipped away to her rooms.  
  
-  
  
“Stay close okay? Grace? _Gracie?_ Come on!” Fyns voice barely registered as Grace took in the sights of the immense hangar bay. Men, women, droids and aliens of indiscernable gender and species scurried about to connect refueling cables and refuse pipes to the underside of the docked ships. A large vehicle pulled up alongside the cargo hold to their right to load and unload supplies onto the star cruiser. Despite her dazed expression, Grace grimaced slightly at the pet name, something only her mother had called her, and many years ago. Somehow it didn't sound quite as patronising coming from her new acquaintance as it had from her mothers mouth.  
  
Along the far wall were the greeter droids and the neon bollards to filter guests through the hallway marked ‘Arrivals’ with a scrolling sign but behind her was truly a sight to behold. The hangar was full of some of the most beautiful and expensive looking Space Cruisers, Interceptors and Shuttles Grace had ever seen, but none stood out as much as the Tempest.  
  
Over 200 metres long and clad in polished black and red armour plating, the Tempest looked to be somewhere between a Corvette and a Derriphan-class battleship with the sleek and elegant design of a Fury-class Interceptor. It may as well have been a miniature Star Destroyer.  
  
"That’s..." Grace started, eyes wide as she took in the immensity of the ship she had just stepped off.  
  
She instantly regretted not grabbing the railings for support on her way down, this was one of the most advanced and expensive ships she had ever seen and she had living onboard for several days now. It must have cost million of credits, no wonder Nox had thrown such a huge sum at her for personal items, it must have truly been nothing to him.  
  
"Your temporary home? Yup. Bloody eyesore if ya ask me." Fyn smiled softly clapping a hand on her small acquaintances shoulder.  
  
"I don’t remember..." Grace continued, her voice full of awe and wonder and unable to tear her eyes away from the ship.  
  
"We took the shuttle back so of course you wouldn’t have seen it. It’s a bespoke cruiser... " The Bounty Hunter said with a shrug "There’s several similar ships out there serving as floating casinos, Zil just had his ‘fancied’ up even more. Makes sense if he’s needed off-world so frequently. I can’t wait til his mansion is finished though, he might cool off once he has a home on solid ground. Come on, lots to do!” Fyn said warmly, taking Grace by the wrist to tug her out of the daze.  
  
Fyn clearly had a soft spot for the frightening alien despite the bickering and constant teasing, was that real friendship? Grace wondered as she allowed herself to be half dragged through the hangar and past customs.  
  
The bright lights and endless telescreens of the Imperial Fleet port were a stark contrast to the soft lighting and almost homey feel of the living space aboard the Tempest. The Fleet space station was an entirely new world to Grace as Fyn pulled her along the polished walkways, flashed datacards in the faces of customs droids and hummed with excitement. Two domestic droids were trudging along behind the two women.  
  
"Up to the Mall district please!" Fyn hummed to the service droid as she stepped into a turbolift, finally releasing the smaller woman.  
  
"Certainly Madam." It buzzed as it tapped the console on it's arm and the doors closed behind them. "Floor 12, shopping district. Please enjoy your stay."  
  
The turbolift doors opened, Grace hadn't even felt it move as she stared on in amazement but there was barely time to take in the 12th floor. Fyns hand closed around her wrist once again to gently pull her forward past the open shop fronts and around surly looking civilians and workers.  
  
"Come on kiddo, it's not that scary." The Bounty Hunter said cheerfully. "Alright, this one will be good for casual basics."  
  
“Aren't we supposed to be getting training clothes and sneakers?” Grace snapped back to reality, shaking her head to clear it.  
  
“You need stuff to wear on your days off, a good place to start. What do you usually wear?” Fyn smirked, leading her over to a women’s fashion store.  
  
“Um, just plain stuff I guess. Jeans and t-shirts.” Grace replied, following the older woman, she didn’t really know her way around anyway.  
  
"Not much of a girly girl are ya?" Fyn teased, poking Grace in the arm lightly.  
  
Grace shook her head, she hadn't worn typical feminine clothing in several years, the weather on Dromund Kaas was highly unsuitable for flowy skirts or dresses and the military provided casual dress. Even among the mercs Grace had stuck to pants and sleeved shirts, those men and women had been ravenous and skin was often shown as an invitation for less than wholesome activities.  
  
"I don't think he'd want you to wear anything flouncy anyway." Fyn hummed, walking past a rack of dresses at the entrance of the store and poking her tongue out at them.  
  
"Thank the stars..." Grace smiled, doing her best to keep up with her companions quickened pace.  
  
"Ah, it's nice to have another girl around. Ooh what about these boots?" Fyn asked excitedly.  
  
"Kinda cool actually." Grace said thoughtfully, regarding the shoes along the shelf. The pair Fyn was pointing to and now trying to grab, were a more fashionable kind of combat boot with a thick tread and lace up fronts, high enough that would stop mid calf.  
  
"Perfect, what's your size?" Fyn asked without looking away from the shelf.  
  
"38 for shoes." Grace said automatically, feeling a little excited.  
  
"Aww so widdle!" Fyn teased shoving aside several pairs to find the right fit. "Great, Seven!" She barked at the droid who rushed forward and held out its arms to catch the boots Fyn tossed over her shoulder, followed by a second larger pair for herself. "And those will go super well with some black jeans, rips or zips?"  
  
"Neither please." Grace frowned. "Wait, how much are those?"  
  
"Awwh, you're no fun." Fyn grumbled, looking at the price tag. "Um, yeah they're fine, don't worry about the price. Alright, plain skinny jeans, size?"  
  
"Um eight or ten. Not sure which." Grace said quietly.  
  
"Yeah I don't blame you, I'm a different size in every store I go to." The blonde woman sighed, tossing several pairs of pants at the droid. "What about shirts and jackets?" Fyn perked up and skipped over to another section filled with racks upon racks of shirts. Grace followed like an embarrassed teen.  
  
"Great! Tops... do you like any of these?" Fyn waved her hand over a series of racks with shirts on hangers with bright designs.  
  
Grace shook her head again.  
  
"Alright, you pick some stuff then!" Fyn pouted again and crossed her arms. Grace smiled sheepishly and nodded before darting off to collect something suitable. Several minutes later she returned to where Fyn was browsing, having collected a pile of clothing for herself.  
  
"Gracie! let the droids carry that!" Fyn whined.  
  
"It's fine, really, they're light." She replied happily as she lay them over the arm of the droid that had been following her.  
  
"Those are all plain kiddo." Fyn said with a pout, she was leaning against the wall where the dressing rooms were separated from the rest of the store, a retail assistance bowed low as Grace and the silent droid approached. "Mhmm." Grace hummed cheerfully.  
  
"Fine, hey Seven hand me that grey shirt and um..." Fyn began to lift up several shirts from the pile draped across the droids arm and pulled one roughly out of the stack to pass to Grace. "These two together, with the shoes?" Grace picked up a pair of pants from the top of the pile on the droids opposite arm as Fyn draped the shirt over her shoulder.  
  
"These are really high." Grace frowned, holding up the hanger.  
  
"Yeah, it'll show off your skinny waist." Fyn said with a subtle wink.  
  
"Isn't that bad?" Grace said, looking up at her friend and feeling a little nervous.  
  
"What?" Fyn asked, apparently shocked as she dumped the smaller pair of boots into Graces outstretched arms.  
  
"I don't really have the hips for these kinds of things." Grace said quietly, staring down at the jeans.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, it'll look great!" Fyn huffed.  
  
"Hmmm." Grace hummed nervously.  
  
She blushed as Fyn shooed her into the changing room and shut the door behind her, a console on the wall beeped and the number 3 popped up on the screen to signify how many items she carried. Behind the door she heard Fyn wander away a little, talking at the droid rather than to it, or perhaps she was talking to herself.  
  
Grace smiled nervously at herself in the mirror as she zipped up the jeans, fastened them and then pulled on the shirt. It was blessedly plain, lacking the dark designs of the more Imperial leaning fashion or the brighter pattern of some of the things she and Fyn had walked past. The only decoration on the shirt was that the sleeves were black against the soft grey and sported a small pocket over the left breast.  
  
Once again she smiled at her reflection, willing it to look genuine as she pulled on and laced up the boots. Grace carefully tucked the hem of the pants into the boots stood to slide the door open a little to check for her acquaintance and stepped out.  
  
"You look great!" Fyn shouted from a few racks away, giving Grace as double thumbs up and skipped over to assess the new outfit.  
  
"Thanks." Grace said quietly, pushing her fingers into each pocket to check for adequate space.  
  
"How do the jeans fit? Turn around." Fyn said, twirling her finger.  
  
"They're weirdly comfortable." Grace replied, looking at herself in the mirror.  
  
"So you tuck the shirt in here, or just at the front, or you can tie it in a knot..." Fyn reached forward and began to tuck the shirt into the waistband of Grace's pants, causing her to blush. "Then you just pull it out a little bit, lift up your arms so you know you can move..." Grace lifted her arms up as if it were an order, her eyes wide with shock at being manhandled so suddenly. Fyn tugged on the shirt until it was slightly loose around the middle before stepping back to admire her work. "There!"  
  
"Huh." Grace turned to the mirror again, slowly lowering and raising her arms to see if it was comfortable.  
  
"Do the boots fit?" Fyn asked, wanting to move on as quickly as possible yet, somehow enjoying how surprised the young girl was about looking good in clothing.  
  
"Mhmm." Grace hummed, turning her lower half and enjoying how different her outfit looked with one small change.  
  
"Great! You should wear that out, oh and I found this!" Fyn said, perking up as she reached for something dark that was draped over the droids shoulder. "I figured you'd be a ten but these run a little bigger for comfort. What do you think?"  
  
"Uh..." Grace eyed the black leatheris jacket warily, it had two inch long metallic spikes over the shoulders and studded lapels, a red lining and button fastenings.  
  
" _Total_ rock star. Put it on!" Fyn said cheerfully.  
  
"It's not really... um how about that one instead?" She pointed to a different style of jacket on the eastern wall, dark leather with cuffs, large pockets and a fleece covered collar. "Looks okay for cold weather."  
  
"Hmm, alright I'll grab it, try the rest!" Fyn looked a little sad at the rejection of the jacket but shooed Grace back into the changing room as she walked away.  
  
-  
  
With her new items purchased, Grace had put on the new jacket and flipped up the collar to nuzzle her face against the soft fleece. The two droids clanked along behind them as they walked around, scanning signs for a suitable store.  
  
"It's nice to have nice things huh?" Fyn smiled.  
  
"Mhmm. Um oh I need to go into the Chems store for a few things." She replied, nodding toward a shop to their left.  
  
"Wait... makeup? Awesome, whatcha gonna get?" The Blonde woman’s voice was filled with excitement.  
  
"Nothing crazy. Just some cover-up." Grace said quietly.  
  
"No nail polish? Glittery eyeshadow? _Rouge_?" She teased, leaning into her acquaintance for a gentle shoulder barge.  
  
Grace looked at her new friend and frowned, holding eye contact but saying nothing.  
  
"Oh alright. Maybe just try some eyeliner though? For me?" Fyn gave her best persuasive smile. "It's just for fun!"  
  
"Um, this is already a bit much." Grace muttered, feeling uncomfortable at the thought of having makeup plastered over her face again. She followed the signs towards the makeup section of the shop and began to wave her hand under the colour checking panels to find her shade. Of course, it hadn't changed in several years but it didn't hurt to be sure, it had to be seamless.  
  
"Don't even know why you think you need that." The Bounty Hunter muttered but continued. "It'll look great I swear! I'll even show you how to do it." She pleaded, clasping her hands together.  
  
"I know how to do eyeliner." Grace sighed, picking up a small tube of the cover-up she had used for years.  
  
"Really? Great, I'll grab some basics." Fyn hummed happily, turning to a nearby shelf to scan for products.  
  
"I'll be over there." Grace sighed, jerking her thumb at the section that stocked various soaps before turning to leave.  
  
Most of the products on the shelves were suited for humans but there were some marked as 'universal'. Grace quickly located some products she was familiar with for washing her skin and hair, basic grooming products and packet of hair ties.  
  
"Hey! Hair straighteners or a barrel curler?" Fyn panted, returning with the droid who carefully carried armful of beauty related products.  
  
"I've got ties, I don't need those." She shook her head, holding up the small basket she carried to show Fyn she had everything she needed.  
  
"Hmph. You can get extra things, he won't mind if you put a little extra effort into your appearance. Not that you have to change, mind you!" Fyn said suddenly holding her hand up to stop Grace from protesting but she said nothing. "Just, if you ever wanted to dress in a way you were worried about before, now might be the time to give it a go. Y'know?"  
  
"Yeah I get it. Just one thing at a time okay? I'm gonna put away most of that money for later." Grace said firmly.  
  
"Alright." Fyn grinned happily, showing the gap between her front teeth.  
  
'Cute.' (G)  
  
"I've picked out these, don't worry about them just yet but this one is something I use, we have the same eye colour so it'll look good." Fyn took a tiny black box from the droids palm, swirled her finger into the product and held it up for Grace to see. Sighing, Grace held up the back of her hand for Fyn to swipe the colour on her skin. "Oh, there you go, see? Maybe for a night out?" She asked innocently.  
  
Grace looked down at the shimmery peach swatched across her skin and smiled, turning her hand in the light.  
  
“Yeah. That's nice.” Grace said, looking closer at the powder.  
  
“You want it? It isn’t expensive.” Fyn asked, looking like a Loth-cat that got the cream.  
  
“Yeah okay. It’s not too crazy.” She replied with a small smile.  
  
“Great! I’m hungry, let's grab a bite before we finish up. Do you like burgers?” Fyn grinned, ushering them excitedly over to the checkout area.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The jacket Fyn wanted Grace to try on is basically the jacket that the original creator draws on the modern AU of her 'Darth Nox', viewable here.  
> https://mossygator.tumblr.com/post/190774657274/5-songs-on-your-ocs-playlist  
> Again, click off this rubbish and go check her out!
> 
> Yes they have a shopping mall on board the Fleet in my HC, it's basically a giant hub where you can get most things you need (human or otherwise), plus they always need extra business!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first little sad attempt at writing a story with somewhat pre-existing characters, lore and setting. Most are owned by George Lucas, made by me or the others are property of the lovely Mossygator_ on Instagram and Tumblr (without the dash), go check her out she's super nice and an incredible artist and creator. Click off this crap and go check out her accounts, honestly.
> 
> My lovely partner helped me by proofreading much of this, he is a gem <3
> 
> Thank you J, and sorry!


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